The Banner Boy Scouts eBook

“Better than ever, I hope, Paul. I’ve
had my lesson. It will never happen again, I
promise you,” she answered, pressing his arm
as she spoke.

So Paul saw her safely to her door, and then said
good-night; but Arline insisted upon shaking hands
with him; and the tingle of his fingers as he walked
down the street made him laugh with joy.

“What luck!” he kept saying to himself,
as he made out to shake his own hand; “and what
a mess of it Ward made of his chances. He thought
to have the laugh on me if we met, and here the shoe
is on the other foot. Oh! I’m not
complaining a little bit. Everything’s coming
my way now.”

Nothing further happened on his way home. But
when he reached the house his father met him with
the announcement that Jack was holding the wire, and
waiting for him.

“On deck there!” he said, briskly, and
heard an exclamation of relief.

“How is it, Paul? Anything doing?
Seemed to me I heard an awful racket over your way;
but the nine-forty train was just coming in at the
station, and drowned it out. Did they tackle you,
son?” demanded Jack, eagerly.

“Did they? Well, I guess some! Ask
Ted,” chuckled the one addressed.

“You’re laughing, and that tells me you
enjoyed the circus. What did you do to poor old
Ted and his cronies, Paul?” entreated the other.

“I could tell you easier what I didn’t
do to ’em, Jack. I gave the boys about
every style of punch and jab I could think of, and
with my home-run bat too. Oh! make up your mind
they’re going to be a sore lot in the morning.
And if you run up against Ted, just sniff the air for
arnica. My word for it, he’ll empty the
bottle to-night on his bruises.”

“Bully! bully! and again bully! I would
have rushed to assist you only you made me promise
to keep my hands off; and you’re my superior
officer, you see. Besides, I reckoned that with
such a hunky-dory bat you’d be able to give
just pie, which you did, Paul.”

“But the half hasn’t been told yet,”
went on the narrator.

“What! do you mean there’s a sequel to
this story?” asked Jack, burning with eagerness
apparently, to hear.

“I guess that’s what it is. Listen.
Ward was just taking a young lady home. He chose
to pass along our street, though now he wishes he hadn’t;
for they arrived just when Ted and his backers jumped
out of the bushes. She screamed, and her escort
sprinted down the street for help. After I had
punched and pounded the three Hallowe’en left-overs
from last year until they faded away, I had the pleasure
of seeing the young lady to her door, yum! yum!”

“Hurrah! and I bet all differences are patched
up again between you!” cried Jack.

“Everything is lovely, and the goose hangs high,”
sang Paul.

“Meaning poor old blundering Ward. He showed
himself for a coward to the girl he’s sweet
on. Oh! my, oh! me, how is the mighty fallen.
Congratulations, good friend, and then more of them.
So the clouds have disappeared along your horizon,
just as they did on mine. I only wish I’d
had a hand in clearing your skies.”